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Today, Rep. Derrick Van Orden (R-Wis.), the Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity delivered the following opening remarks, as prepared at the start of the subcommittee’s oversight hearing to discuss House Republicans plans to reform and improve interagency coordination between the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Department of Labor to enhance the TAP (Transitional Assistance Program) program to give servicemembers a smoother transition to civilian life.

Good morning.

The Subcommittee will come to order.

I want to thank our witnesses for being here today to discuss the Transition Assistance Program, or T.A.P., and the role that each department plays in helping servicemembers during their transition.

I look forward to continuing the nonpartisan spirit of this Subcommittee with Ranking Member Pappas to improve the Transition Assistance Program.

As a former Navy SEAL who served this country for 26 years, I have firsthand knowledge of the difficulties that can come with making the change from active-duty to civilian life. This is personal to me.

Over 200,000 military personnel leave the service each year.

For many service members, this can be a time to take on new challenges and build a promising new future.

For others, this year-long process is filled with uncertainty and frustration.

Servicemembers who have a job lined up from the military or a clear path for their future after separation are much less likely to experience homelessness.

Servicemembers who have community or family support are less likely to end up in a state of mental distress and die by suicide.

Servicemembers who are aware and have already signed up for the benefits they are entitled to and understand how to access them are much less likely to end up in dire straits.

Yet, in this critical time, the TAP program continues to fall short.

As this Committee learned in the most recent Congressionally Mandated Report, only 52% of service members attend TAP on time.

Although good progress is being made, only in the federal government would 52% be counted as a success. This should not happen. We owe these men and women who sacrificed so much for us more than that.

I am committed to solving this problem and doing right by our veterans.

The current TAP program, while well-intentioned, is not meeting the needs of our servicemembers. Too many of them are falling through the cracks. We must do better by helping them build a concrete plan for life after the service.

Earlier this year my staff went on a TAP oversight trip and heard from a meeting with the Garrison Commander that getting servicemembers in charge of sending their troops to TAP is a generational issue.

When people at the top of DOD do not care about TAP, VA has to pick up the slack to reduce homelessness, suicide, and unemployment.

We do not have 15 years to fix this problem. We must act now.

In 2019, this Committee worked incredibly hard to modernize the Transition Assistance Program. Many of these proposals were considered during a hearing similar to the one we are having today.

However, what Congress intended and what DoD implemented ended up being different, so we are here again today with the same organizations in the room, discussing a program that still does not fully support the needs of our servicemembers.

It is my understanding that 48 % of the service members are not beginning this process a year in advance. This start date is mandated by Congress thanks to the hearings and legislation in 2019.

Delaying the start of transition not only puts these service members at a distinct disadvantage, but it lowers the chance or retention and the recruitment of future generations of warfighters.

Last year, I introduced the ETS Act to hold DoD accountable and bridge the gaps in support for servicemembers. Several of those provisions made it into the House NDAA.

I am currently working on introducing new legislation to fix many of these issues and streamline the warm handover process.

I hope to hear from each of the witnesses about what has improved and what still needs work. It is important that the agencies and Congress work together, especially on this issue that effects every man and woman who will raise their right hand and serve our country.

I now yield to the Ranking Member for his opening remarks.